Monday, March 14, 2011

Trapped leopard dies outside Gir

A leopard, which ensnared in trap meant for wild boars, died outside the Gir forest on Friday night. The forest department arrested Paresh Nagji for laying two traps made of two-wheeler's clutch wires.

Deputy conservator of forests Anita Karna said that in one of the traps a leopard was found dead; while the other trap was lying open about 10 metres away.

Nagji told forest officers that he had not laid the trap for big cats but for wild boars. Karna said that the incident took place about five to six km away from the sanctuary. The leopard was killed after its neck got strangulated in the trap. The trap was laid in the revenue area outside the farm of Atul Sekhada. The area, where the trap was laid, was outside the sanctuary and the protected area.

A senior officer from the forest department said that this was not an incident of poaching of big cats as organised gangs do not set up such traps. He said that this was mainly for the wild boar or herbivorous animals.

A couple of incidents have been reported in the Gir and nearby areas where some herbivorous animals were poached. The gang was making fake lion claws and selling them in the open market. Forests officials said that such traps are laid for the small animals with the intention of catching and eating them.